SOME NEW BOOKS. 



EAST AFRICAN SPORT. 



Sport in East Central Africa, being an account of Hunting Trips in Portu- 

 guese and other districts of East Central Africa. By F. Vaughan 

 Kirby. 8vo, pp. xvi. + 340, with 4 plates. London: Rowland 

 Ward, Limited, 1899. Price 8s. 6d. 



Mr. Kirby is already known to the sporting world as the author of " In 

 Haunts of Wild Game " ; and the interesting experiences narrated in the latter 

 Avork naturally lead the reader to expect as many exciting adventures in the 

 new venture. In this matter it may confidently be said that expectation will 

 not be disappointed ; the adventures which befell the intrepid author in his 

 pursuit of lions, elephants, hippopotami, and rhinoceros being little short of 

 marvellous, although all bearing the mark of truth. The greater part of the 

 country traversed by Mr. Kirby lies in the provinces of British Central Africa 

 and Portuguese East Africa, and those who follow in his footsteps will doubt- 

 less benefit much by the descriptions given of the different routes. It would, 

 however, have been a decided advantage if the publishers could have seen 

 their way to issue an explanatory map, but the price at which the book is sold 

 probably rendered this impossible. In his first work the author showed a 

 tendency to write unduly long and complex sentences; and we are glad to 

 notice an improvement in this respect in the present volume, although in some 

 cases a still further curtailment, both as regards length of sentences and 

 general redundancy of expression, would be desirable. 



Much of the volume is taken up by the ordinary routine of marching and 

 camp-life ; but in the second half the real sporting adventures are so thickly 

 crowded that almost every page is of thrilling interest. In this part of the 

 Dark Continent at any rate, unless the rinderpest has subsequently done its 

 fell work of destruction, the game is evidently not yet on the verge of 

 extermination. 



But Mr. Kirby is something more than the ordinary sportsman, and dis- 

 plays a keen interest in Natural History. This is exemplified by the well 

 written appendix, in which all the larger species of mammals met with during 

 the trip are recorded, with notes on their distribution and habits. In one 

 respect the author displays a curious ignorance, this being his failure to grasp 

 the meaning of the term " type " in Zoology. For instance, on page 338, he 

 falls foul of the editor of the "Royal Natural History" for calling the original 

 white-legged variety of BurchelPs zebra the typical form, on account of its not 

 being the one met with commonly at the present day ! Of course the editor 

 of the "Royal Natural History" is perfectly right, and his would-be critic, 

 hopelessly wrong. 



To those interested in a comparatively little known portion of Africa, Mr. 

 Kirby's volume may be cordially commended, and we may at the same time 

 call attention to the very valuable series of works on African sport and natural 

 history now in course of publication by Mr. Rowland Ward. 



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